The Planning Board last week approved changes to the Central Business District Redevelopment Plan that would eliminate convenience retail uses and restaurants as permitted uses along Block 154 downtown.

City Council tabled an ordinance last month (O-2-18) to amend the redevelopment plan until the Planning Board had an opportunity to adopt it. With the Planning Board’s adoption, the ordinance likely will be approved at its next regular meeting on March 12.

Block 154 includes five lots: RSI bank on Irving Street; Word of Life Apostolic Church at the corner of Elm Avenue and Irving Street; the state Fireman’s Mutual Benevolent Association (FMBA) office at the corner of Campbell Street and Elm Avenue; an office/retail complex along Campbell, and a Parking Authority-owned parking lot along Broad Street.

At the Feb. 27 meeting, the Planning Board’s planner, Paul Phillips of Hoboken-based Phillips Preiss Grygiel, explained that he did not draft the amendment but it came from the administration. The intent was to see a complete plan of redevelopment of that block, he said. Under the current plan, it could be developed on a piecemeal basis, he said, and the administration wanted to see a complete plan for the redevelopment of that block. It’s unclear whether there was a specific project proposed for any parts of Block 154 prior to this ordinance.

The change, Phillips said, is not inconsistent with the city’s redevelopment plan. Planning Board commissioner Richard Watkins, the city’s code enforcement official, said the Planning Board’s recommendation is based not on the substance of the changes but only whether they comport with the master plan.

Chairman Jeff Robinson said it’s not unusual as the Planning Board had approved lots of amendments to the redevelopment plan over the years.

At least a decade ago, the area of Block 154 was identified as a possible site for a parking deck and office space development although discussion was very preliminary at the time. The talk was centered around the possibility of becoming included in the state’s Urban Transit Hub Tax Credit program, which sought to attract office space in proximity to railroad stations.